On Friday we took a bit of an unplanned trip for the weekend. I say "a bit" because we knew we wanted to plan a getaway, but we didn't really know exactly where we were heading or for how long. Sometimes those are the best types of vacations.

We didn't really make the decision until Thursday, and then we finished up our site update and got things ready to head out. Fortunately, we have our dear friend and neighbor Lee who looks in on our kitties when we go away like this. We can leave knowing he takes good care of them and 'visits' for a bit so they aren't so lonely.

We headed out Friday morning, knowing we were going to drive along the northern coast of the New Minas basin.

In order to do this, we had to reach where the number four is on this map and follow th path up and around. It took several hours to get there.

Along the way, we stopped at a local post office to mail off our orders for the day. It was a small, rural post office that was run out of someone's home. While there, we met a beautiful silvery-grey long haired cat named "Gus" who spent the whole time we were there on the counter purring and rubbing against me while I was getting things ready. I wish I had thought to run to the car for my camera to take a photo of him. He was a real beauty and I would have loved to have a picture of him. I will have to remember to do so if our path ever follows that way again.

We spent the day driving around the basin, sticking to the coast as much as possible. The entire weekend was filled with sun and it was absolutely perfect. We stopped at a cheese farm and I got some wonderful Gouda cheese as well as some bleu cheese they called "Dragon's Breath" that is amazing. I had a little cooler to keep it in for the rest of our trip, so I could enjoy it here at home.

One of the most beautiful places I saw was a place called "Five Islands". On the above map, it was near section 2 and on the below map it is located before we reached the town of Parrsboro:

There was a lighthouse there that had actually been moved several times:

We were able to go up in the lighthouse and stand on the little balcony, but once I got up there, I remembered that I have issues with heights and kind of get 'vertigo'. I had to hold on for dear life! :)

The tide was low when we were there, but still not its lowest. That would be in three hours the guide said. You could see across that one of the islands had a cool arch in it. The guide said when the tide was lowest, one could actually walk to the islands over the mud flats, although it was not advised!

We had no intention of doing so!

A little further up the coast, we stopped by another beautiful beach:

I wasn't sure what town this was in, but it was around 5:30 then. It was huge and beautiful.

We wound up travelling as far as Moncton, and stopped around 11pm. We then took all day Saturday picking along the northern coast of New Brunswick all the way to Bathurst.

There were hundreds of beautiful beaches and coves along the way, although I didn't take many photos. We stopped Saturday night at a nice hotel and Keith had booked the "Spa" room with a nice hot tub in it. (Saturday was my birthday and it was part of his surprise for me!)

It was really a great weekend, and the weather couldn't have been nicer. It did get a little hot and from Truro on, we put the top on our car us. I think we had enough sun for a while.

Today is a day of catch up. The kitties were happy we are home and I have lots of email and things to catch up on. But it was a great time away and a much needed rest from the every day routine. I fell asleep at about 8pm last night and slept through. I don't remember when I was last so tired.

I love our trips, but it is always good to come back home. It is great to live in a 'paradise' where there is so much beauty nearby. We just have to remember to take time out to enjoy it!

Good morning Sheila! What a great way to celebrate your birthday – happy birthday! I remember that area of New Minas Basin and the lighthouses along the way. That one just before Parrsboro was very interesting and I loved the area. We got lots of photos but it was windy and cloudy the day we were there. Glad you got some great weather to enjoy the weekend.

Hi, Anna! Yes, it was a beautiful weekend. I had never been to that part of Nova Scotia before and I absolutely loved it. Everything about it was lovely. The people were nice, too. Such a great little getaway. :)

I loved the lighthouses, too. They really have things set up nice for us to enjoy. It is fun to be tourists in our own province. :)